Stand By You
by Cyrano of Notre Dame
Summary: Gordie and Chris have always been there for eachother , they're best friends. Now they're feeling more than just friendly attachment , but thier new realationship must be kept a secret. Warning! Chris x Gordie slash , rated for language. Please Review!
1. Chapter 1: In the Paper

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**In the Paper**

For the first time in a long time Gordie LaChance felt , well , happy. Since the new school year had started he been kind of depressed. Don't get him wrong he loved learning , reading , writing , all that stuff , but what he didn't love was being separated from his best friend Chris Chambers by teachers , lectures and class schedules. After a lot of coaxing and some pleading on his part Gordie had managed to convince Chris to take college classes with him , instead of the shop classes everyone had expected him to enroll in. This meant that they had almost all the same classes together , but it still wasn't the same , not like Summer when they could just hang out and be themselves around each other.

That's why Gordie loved Summer. Summer meant that he could goof off with Chris , sometimes for days on end . Which was great because it meant not having to see his parents. Since Denny died it seemed like a part of them had died also , the loving , family part , he was their star son , the apple of both their eyes , and of course the favorite child. With him gone as far as his parents were concerned they had no son, which is why they didn't mind him being gone for days at a time , that is as long as he didn't mention Chris Chambers. Gordie's dad seemed to hat Chris , he called him a bad influence , but Gordie suspected there was another reason for his father's animosity , Chris encouraged Gordie's writing.

Gordie loved sharing his stories with Chris he was always eager to listen and he always provided honest feedback , which was a huge asset to the aspiring young writer. But Gordie's dad thought writing was a waste of time , he called it "scribbling down fairytales". But the truth was that Chris and writing were the only things in his life that Gordie cared about , the only things he loved , all that he was living for. And go figure his father hated them both. As a matter of fact his writing was the reason that Gordie was in such high spirits today.

About two weeks ago their English teacher had given the class a creative writing assignment , every student in the room groaned or sighed , except Chris and Gordie. Gordie just smiled a little and bean thinking of stories he could transfer from his mind to paper , Chris turned around and grinned a grin at Gordie that seemed to say " you've got this , show em' a real story!" . the two went over several of Gordie's short stories together and eventually got down to one which Gordie polished down and turned into his teacher. And Gordie's teacher , as he was not one of those angry idiotic teachers who don't give a damn , realized it was good , really good. He then turned it over to the high school Literature teacher , an eccentric artsy lady with red hair , who in turn turned it into the Castle Rock newspaper to be published. This was a dream come true for the young writer , he went out and bought one of the first issues of the paper with his story in it and ran to show Chris. This is why Gordie LaChance was truly in a good mood for the first time in weeks. He found Chris behind the school , alone , waiting for him.

" You got it ?" he asked as the chestnut haired boy approached , as an answer Gordie tossed him the paper .

" page 7 , top right." , he said trying to hide his excitement behind a mask of nonchalance , it wasn't working.

He watched as Chris read , and noticed how intently he studied the paper , even though he'd heard the story himself several times and helped Gordie with a half a dozen rough drafts.

" This is seriously cool , you're a writer man!" , Chris exclaimed.

" Nah , it's just a story in a paper no one ever reads." , Gordie said , still trying to sound indifferent.

" Just a story my ass! This is great , you could get this published in the friggin New York Times!".

Gordie felt a grateful and little embarrassed at his friends confidence in him , he felt the faintest touch of red on his cheeks , " So what do you want to do this weekend?" , he said trying to change the subject ,

" I got no plans , wanna got to the tree house tonight? My dad's been hittin the bottle pretty hard , he probably wouldn't notice if I was gone." , Chris offered.

" Yeah and my dad wouldn't care." , Gordie had meant for this to come out as some kind of a joke , but he realized his statement was true and this knowledge showed on his face and in his voice.

" Sure he would." , Chris said placing a comforting arm on Gordie's shoulder like he had done countless times before , " You should show him the paper , even **_your_** dad would realize it's a big deal to have a story you wrote in the paper."

" Yeah , maybe." , but Gordie didn't really think his dad would care at all , he was right , " Be at the tree house at nine?" ,

"Yeah , sure , and if you can bring some snacks." , although Chris was too proud to admit it he hadn't been full in weeks , his dad spent most of their money on booze and feeding his youngest son wasn't exactly a high priority for him. Gordie could tell though , you get to know someone after being around them a while , Chris always seemed to "forget" his lunch , Gordie would have , wanted to, give Chris all of his but he would only accept a little , Chris Chamber's didn't need charity , not even Gordie's. They walked down the sunbathed sidewalk talking about nothing really until the time came for them to part. Just as they were about to tear away from each other Chris said ,

" I'm serious about showing the paper to your old man." .

Gordie responded " Yeah , I'll try" , as he walked to his house that was no longer a home.

P.S

Writing a review will earn you a position of affleuence and power in the New World Order!


	2. Chapter 2 : Perfect

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**Perfect**

The clock read " 8:15" , " Can't time go any faster!" , Gordie thought to himself as he sat on his bed staring at the wall. He always hated being " home" , if you could call the house in which he ate and slept a " home", he always felt like a stranger , an intruder. So his "home" life consisted of him being as quiet and as out of the way as possible , the only time he ever really got to be himself was around Chris.

Finally he decided to go ahead to the tree house , even though Chris wouldn't be there for another half hour at the earliest. He'd already packed . A thick blanket to be used as a mattress , a pillow , a flashlight , some matches and cigarettes ( in case Chris was out) , and of course a pencil and some paper , and all the food he thought he could take without it being missed , ( which , given his parents mental state , was quite a lot ) , made up the contents of his bag. He didn't care if Chris had some ego hang-up that kept him from accepting help , even from his best friend ,

" I'll sit there an make him take it if I have to." , he thought to himself.

Just then he remembered what Chris had said about showing his story to his dad , " This was your idea Chambers." , he sighed heavily as he picked up the paper and his bag and went down stairs. He knew his dad wouldn't care , but Chris wanted him to try any way ,

" And I'd do anything for him." , if Gordie had paused to consider this thought he might have found it strange , but he didn't.

He stood awkwardly in the living room , his parents didn't look up at him , his mom was knitting and his dad was reading a sports magazine.

" Um… , Dad?" , his dad looked up with a tired expression , he looked much older than he was,

" Yes?" , he said. "

I, um… , got a story in the paper." , his dad actually looked what might pass for interested ,

" What did you do?" , he said as Gordie handed him the folded paper.

" Not that kind of story , a story I wrote."

"Oh , .. One of those." his dad sighed as he put the paper down on the table next to his chair , he didn't even glance at it ,

" You know , Denny got in the paper all the time , most touchdowns for a senior , fastest mile in his class , most wins in Castle Rock history…." his father trailed off with an expression of sadness and a sigh.

As Gordie was turning to walk out the door he yelled in his head " I knew this would happen!" , but he kept silent , like he always did.

" Why can't you be a normal boy and go out for sports instead of thinking up all those fairytales with that criminal friend of yours?" , his dad said to him , this was the first time he'd spoken a complete sentence to his son in weeks.

" Chris isn't a criminal! He's a good kid!" , Gordie all but yelled , the volume and intensity of his voice surprised him , but Chris was a good kid and he was sick of everyone labeling him with the rest of family.

Before his dad could say anything he ran out the door , fighting back tears. His parents didn't seem to realize the he had loved Denny just as much as they did , maybe more because his love wasn't founded on athletic achievements. As he walked through the summer twilight to the tree house he managed to keep the warm tears inside his eyes , he really hoped Chris wouldn't ask him about what happened , he hated crying in front of Chris. It's not that Chris ever made him feel weak for crying , quite the opposite , Chris was always there to make him feel better , he just felt guilty. He felt weak and guilty , because he couldn't help crying about his parent's not loving him , and yet Chris's dad beat him on a regular basis , as everyone in Castle Rock knew, and Chris hardly ever cried , he certainly never cried from the physical pain , he was tough.

He climbed up into the empty tree house , sat down and began , very quietly to cry. He cried because Denny was gone , he cried because his parent's wished he was in Denny's place, and he cried because he hated himself for not being tough like Chris. He didn't hear Chris come in and he wouldn't have known he was there had it not been for that familiar one armed hug that pulled him close to his best friend. Chris had guessed what happened. He didn't say anything , he was too wise to try to use words to comfort his friend. He just sat there , hugging his best friend close , letting him know in ways words couldn't fully express , (his word's anyway , Gordie's probably could) , that he was there , that he cared , and that somehow , someway things would be okay. After a few minuets Gordie raised his head and looked at Chris ,

" Why can't I be like Denny? Why am I so small , and weak , and useless?" , and he meant it too , he hated that he wasn't athletic like his brother or tough like Chris , he did feel useless.

Chris's comforting demeanor suddenly was gone ,

" Don't say that man, don't you believe that load of crap!" , Chris said quietly , but with a stern fierceness that surprised even himself.

" Denny got trophies, and awards , and girls , I just do good in school and scribble down stupid little stories." ,Gordie said tears streaming in two rivers down his thin face.

Chris put his hands on Gordie's shoulders and turned him so they were face to face ,

" That's a load of shit and you know it!" , just what he'd said last summer ,

" Your brother was great , but anyone can throw a ball and run , hell , Vern could do that! But your stories are amazing , not everyone can write like you , and no one can think up the stories you do. And if your dad's too much of an asshole to realize how amazing you are that's his fault. No matter what he says brilliant , and you're too good for this town , and way too good to be his son. No matter what he says ,you're … , your'e , perfect."

This threw Gordie for a loop , he'd always considered Chris to be the perfect one , the one who always did what he knew was right in spite of his family , the one who never cried no matter how hurt he was , the one who could get beaten by his old man and still listen to_ his _family issues , the one who could always pick him up. For the first time Gordie realized how close the were , their faces were inches apart. Chris took his hands off Gordie's shoulders and lean forward. Before either of them knew what was happening their lips were centimeters apart. Chris leaned in and kissed Gordie with incredible gentleness , Gordie didn't think that Chris , the school tough guy was capable of such tenderness. Before Gordie could think how good it felt Chris pulled back and looked into his eyes , he looked scared and ashamed , worried that he'd ruined the only friendship he ever had , the only thing he was living for. Before he could worry much more , Gordie leaned in and kissed him back with the same gentleness. Gordie leaned forward more , put his lips to Chris's ears and whispered ,

" _**You're the perfect one." **_

P.S

Writing a review will earn you a position of affleuence and power in the New World Order!

P.P.S

C'mon , I'll let you be the Arch Bishop of Jersey!


	3. Chapter 3 : Getting Out

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**Getting out**

They sat , close together , in the tree house each one counting this is the best day of their lives , so far. They could have stayed like that forever , had it not been for the heartless bitch known as " reality". After the euphoria of kissing Chris , after his soul came down from the stars , Gordie realized what that kiss meant. Castle Rock was a Podunk little town whose many churches spread the good news of eternal damnation for sinners and deviants , homosexuals especially. Gordie realized in an instant that they'd have to hide their feelings , and hide them well. If anyone found out , God only knows what would happen , he wasn't worried so much about himself as he was about Chris.

Gordie figured his parents couldn't be anymore disappointed in him than they were now. But Chris's dad , quite possibly , would kill him if he knew , he already didn't need an excuse to beat his son , imagine if he found out he was a " fag"? He looked into Chris's eyes and saw that he understood too , probably better than he did .

" Chris we gotta keep this a secret , if your folks knew…" , Gordie couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence ,

" I know." , and he did, all to well.

" Gordie?" ,Chris asked , sounding timid , which was a tone his voice rarely took , Chris was the tough guy , the rebel , he'd seen Chris's soft side before but never like this ,

" Yeah Chris?" ,

" You gotta make it as a writer. You just gotta , you have to get out of this town." , Chris sounded almost desperate. Then Gordie realized that for some reason lost on him , Chris cared more about Gordie's life than he did his own.

Then Gordie put his hands on Chris's shoulders , looked him dead in the eye , and said with the same fierceness that was in Chris's voice a few minuets ago ,

" I will. And I'm taking you with me Chambers!" ,

" You can't . I'd be dead weight Gordo." , Chris protested ,

" Get used to it Chambers , I'm not leaving without you and I'm sure as hell not staying.", Gordie said with a smile.

After that things were more or less the same they had both known how they felt about the other and were content to just be close to the one they loved. They talked , smoked , and Gordie told a few stories , and as the hours grew small they got tired. They both laid down on Gordie's blanket and pillow as they had done countless times before ( Chris's dad had pawned off his only sleeping bag). But as Gordie rolled over on his right side , the way he always slept , he felt a pair of strong arms wrap around him and a warm body press against his own. Never before had Gordie felt so safe and so loved. His skinny body felt like it was meant for the more muscular boys embrace, he could feel Chris's breath on his hair.

" Chris?" ,

" Yeah Gordie?" ,

" I **am** taking you with me , we're getting out together." ,

there was a pause

" Gordie , I love you.".

" I love you too , well get out , you'll see." , Gordie said and he believed it , on that night , warm in Chris's arms he could believe anything. Gordie felt so incredible that he didn't want to go to sleep , because then he'd wake up , and morning , the equally heartless sister of the heartless bitch that is reality , would bring back all the people and hatred that would try to tear their love apart. But now , with just the two of them in their own moonlit world , everything was fine , everything was going to be okay. But sleep inexorably came , and as Gordie drifted off to dreams that were , for once no where near as good as being awake , he heard himself repeat over and over again

" We'll get out , …. , both of us , you'll see ,.. Both of us." and Chris smiled when he heard it , because he believed it too.

P.S

Writing a review will earn you a position of affleuence and power in the New World Order!

P.P.S

Maybe the president of some unimportant state like Wisconsin? ( and yes I do mean President , "NEW" World Order)


	4. Chapter 4 : Protection

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**Protection**

Chris woke up first , out of habit , he was used to waking up early so that he could have some peace and quiet before the day started. As he grew more coherent he realized that the warm thing snuggled in his arms was Gordie , his best friend , well more than just best friend now. A smile lit on his face as he Gordie laying there serene and innocent looking , "like an angel" he thought. He didn't get up just yet , he wanted to make this last as long as it possibly could , the warmth , the comfort ,the safety , that they both found in each other.

Chris noticed he was still hugging Gordie tight , like he was trying to protect him from something. He had always had Gordie's back , now just a little more literally , and Gordie had had his , in different ways. Gordie had always protected Chris from himself , or rather from the Chris Chamber everyone thought he was and was destined to remain , a low life , a failure. When everyone in Castle Rock thought he was good for nothing Gordie was there to remind him that he could be anything , do anything he wanted , and that he was already better than half the idiots that put him down. And Chris physically protected Gordie from jerks and thugs in other words , half the school and more than half the town. Normally Chris Chambers was a level headed nice guy. The only exception was when someone was giving Gordie trouble , then you'd be better off fighting the devil himself. Chris didn't give a damn for himself or his rep , but Gordie was another story entirely.

* * *

About a year ago a kid in their grade, Louis Carpenter by name , made a series of very bad mistakes. His first mistake was calling Gordie LaChance a " pansy" , his second error in judgment was doing it within ear shot of Chris Chambers , and his third and final misstep was doing it off school property. The last error made Chris's following actions virtually unsuitable , the school couldn't touch him , and there was no way Louis's parents would complain to Chris's dad. Not that Chris cared much anyway. Just as Louis was realizing he was in for it Chris's right fist made perfect contact with the right side of Louis's face. The contact lasted only an instant , but Louis's face wasn't the same for months. But that was a slap on the wrist compared to what Chris did to Henry Spencer.

Spencer was a new kid at their school , one of the first , his parents had just moved to town. Henry was a tough guy , the top dog at his old school , and he wasn't about to loose that. He met with a group of tough looking kids from a higher grade and tried to join the clique , they accepted , on the condition that he accept a dare , which he did. They pointed out a skinny brown haired kid in the schoolyard and told him what to say to him. Henry walked over to Gordie and said what he'd been told to ,

" Hey , I heard your brother got himself killed 'cause the dumbass couldn't drive a car!".

Much to Henry's astonishment the skinny kid punched him , right in the nose. This kid looked weak , maybe ninety pounds at the most , just skin and bones , but that sure was one hell of a punch. Blood shot from Henry's nose as he hit the ground , while he was down the brown haired kid started kicking him repeatedly in the gut , his face was contorted in anger as he yelled

" You son of a bitch! You bastard!" ,

all the while his new " friends" were laughing their heads off. Then Henry got mad , and then Henry got up. No matter how much righteous fury Gordie's lean frame was filled with it didn't change the fact that his weak little body couldn't match Henry's , who was rather strong from playing football. He hauled off and hit Gordie on the left side of the face , and before he could fall , again in the stomach. He would have beat the crap out of him if he hadn't felt a surging train of muscle , bone and flesh ram into him from the side.

The tackle alone was enough to take the fight out of him , but before he knew it a bigger kid in a white T-Shirt and blue jeans with short sandy hair , was straddling him , holding his head down at the throat. Henry looked into this new kid's eyes and saw something that terrified him. Even though it wasn't contorted in the usual fashion of livid countenances it was more filled with hate and anger than anything he'd ever seen. And for that reason Henry Spencer believed the words that came out of Chris Chambers mouth more than the Gospel itself.

" I'll kill you if you touch him! I'll fucking kill you!" ,

and with that warning thoroughly articulated Chris proceeded to hit Henry Spencer in the face , again , and again , and again. It only stopped when Chris decided to end it , everyone looking on was too dumbstruck to stop him ,and no one could have if they'd mustered up the courage to try. Before leaving Henry to contemplate his warning Chris reminded him one last time. Chris grabbed him by the throat and leaned forward whispering in Henry's ear

" I swear to God , I'll kill you if you touch him again.",

with that he left , without saying a word he walked over to Gordie and helped him up. Gordie was speechless , the writers words failed him. They walked silently over to Gordie's house. After Chris was finally convinced that Gordie was okay they went up to his room to study , like they always did. The house was empty except for them.

" Chris , why …" ,

Chris knew the question was coming and he knew the answer ,

" You're the only friend I got man." , the gravity of Chris's voice was something rare , usually he would make joke and brush it off , but not now.

And Gordie knew it to be true , he also knew what Chris had done for him , he realized the repercussions of beating up Henry Spencer. The school would no doubt punish him , suspension most likely , and that was the worst thing they could possibly do , and they knew it. Chris alone at home with his dad for a week , there'd be hell to pay. The thought of this made Gordie feel and odd blend of unmitigated anger , sadness , and a burning desire to help Chris.

Gordie was right of course , after Chris came back from his week of suspension there was barley an inch of his tan skin that wasn't stamped with hideous bruises or nasty gashes. Seeing his best friend hurt like this infuriated Gordie , and he wished desperately that there was something he could do. But there was very little he , or anyone could . That evening as they studied , Gordie did the little he could. He made them both supper , if cold cut sandwiches , chips , and coke could constitute a supper , and treated Chris's many wounds. Chris , in true stoic fashion insisted he was fine , that it was just a few scrapes ,

" I fell off my bike." , Chris lied , a lie they both wanted desperately to believe.

Gordie cleaned and bandaged all the scrapes he could see. A while ago Gordie had resolved to get some manner of first aid knowledge , Chris seemed to " fall off his bike" often. As he was treating them Gordie tried not to think about the blunt objects and furniture that had probably caused these myriad wounds.

" Chris , take off your shirt." , just as Chris was about to protest , to say he was " fine" , again , he saw that his friend knew and wouldn't be dissuaded. With a sigh he pulled his shirt over his head . As he had known , Chris's toned torso and back were scattered with bruises and cuts. One particularly large , deep bruise was impressed on his left shoulder , which Gordie suspected to be the work of the edge of a table or counter top. Chris just looked ashamedly at the floor while Gordie treated his cuts.

" You should get a new bike." Gordie said , half smiling , Chris smiled , a full smile , and laughed slightly.

* * *

Yes , they were always there for each other , they always had each others backs. This knowledge was an immense source of comfort to Chris. What he had said was true Gordie was his only friend , and now he was more , ( Teddy and Vern were more like pals or buddies to Chris. The word friend was a sacred , beautiful word to Chris and he only applied it to those he was really close to.). His family sure as hell didn't stick up for him so knowing he had someone who cared about , hell let's come out and say it , who **_loved _**him was something new and wonderful. The sun was rising higher in the sky , Chris wished fervently that it would decide it wasn't worth the trouble and go away , leaving the protecting , comforting darkness to surround them. He felt Gordie stir , he turned over and smiled at Chris ,

"Hey." , he said ,

" Hey." Chris replied smiling as well. Gordie's face changed , he turned serious , grave even.

" We have to start planning," , "planning what?" Chris asked , " How were going to get out of here , … , our escape."

P.S

Writing a review will earn you a position of affleuence and power in the New World Order!

P.P.S

You could be a tax collector!


	5. Chapter 5 : Never Leave You

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**Never leave you**

" I still think your over reacting man. I mean , I know this place sucks , but we can stick it out until we finish high school , right?" , Chris asked Gordie in the growing sunlight of the tree house.

They'd been talking over an ersatz breakfast of junk food and dry cereal about Gordie's almost frantic desire to get out of Castle Rock , to get out quick.

" No I'm not , we cant keep this thing, … us ( he'd dreamt of saying that word for so long that he paused to savor the sound of it) , a secret for long , no matter how careful we are.", Gordie lowered his voice and spoke gravely , " Remember the Cassy brothers?" he asked.

Of course he remembered , how could he not , it was the only thing anyone in Castle Rock talked about for weeks.

* * *

It happened about two years ago. The Cassy " brothers" were anything but blood relatives , they were a couple of "fags" or "queers" , as the good people of Castle Rock referred to them , who made the mistake of staying in town. Robert and Doug " Cassy" moved to Castle Rock during the Summer , they managed to keep their love a secret for about four months. When they moved to town they rented a house outside of town , as a result of its proximity to the railroad station they got it cheap. They were no idiots , they knew what would happen to them if the God fearing townspeople found out about their relationship , so they fabricated a story in which they were stepbrothers who'd grownup together and were very close. Robert Cassy even managed to snag a " girlfriend" for a while , for extra camouflage. And they got on well enough , until someone witnessed them engaging in acts that went beyond the bounds of brothers love.

So on October 31st of that year , a mob of armed men , masked with children's Halloween costumes , and armed with guns , torches , and hatred , made their way to the Cassy house. They burned it to the ground , yelling for the queers to come out. The two were able to escape the burning house and were chased through the woods like animals . The spectacle was truly horrifying , all them men had on some form of mask , some had plastic faces meant for children , others had sacks with eye holes cut into them. Among them were Joe Allan , chief of police , Robert Gray , science teacher , and Reverend Simmons , reverend. Doug was caught , the mob hung him from an oak on a impromptu noose of barbed wire. Robert , seeing the hanging apparently went mad and lost the will to live. As his lover hanged , gasping his last breaths , Robert charged into the heart of the mob like one possessed , striking forcefully and at random. Doug was shot by the good Reverend Simmons's .45. It was a major story , although none of the members of the mob were ever identified. And many a sermon was preached on the swiftness of God's judgment on the wicked.

* * *

"Yeah , I remember." , Chris admitted.

" That's why we have to get out , if anyone found out…" , they both , as if by unspoken mental understanding decided to lean in closer and speak lower than they already were ,

" He'd Kill you Chris!" ,

And that was Gordie's greatest fear , losing the only one in the world who loved him and who he loved. If their being together endangered Chris's life well then maybe..

" or we could just stop seeing each other…" ,

" No!" , Chris almost yelled.

They both knew that wasn't an option , if they were caught together they may very well die , but if they stayed apart , they were worse off. Chris regained his composure and whispered ,

" No , I love you , man." ,

" And I love you." Gordie said and pulled Chris into an embrace.

" We have to be ready , just in case , and we have to be careful , very careful." he said

, " I know Gordie , I know." ,

" Well I got to be getting back ," Gordie said obviously not wanting to tear himself away , " I told my mom I would be back in the morning , I'll make up a reason and e back in a few minuets , ok?".

"Ok" Chris said ,

but as Gordie turned to go he pulled him into a forceful , passionate kiss. Neither of them wanted to be alone , not again , not after last night. Gordie kissed back with just as much fire , knowing that that passion would have to fill the void left when they were alone again. Gordie pulled away and went out of the tree house , running. Chris sat and waited , thinking about all that Gordie had said. And he was right , if his dad found out about him and Gordie he may very well be beaten to death , and this meant something unimaginably horrible to Chris , it meant separation from Gordie. If , somehow , God forbid , Gordie was killed , Chris was sure he wouldn't go on living , he'd follow him to the grave. But, if in the more likely scenario , Chris died that meant that he would be severed from the only thing in the world he loved. He'd heard in church about how great heaven was supposed to be , gold streets , pearl gates , the works. But as far as Chris Chambers was concerned , without Gordie it might as well be Hell. Suddenly Chris was very worried that he'd be separated from Gordie , in this life or the next. He couldn't imagine being without his slender , chestnut-haired angel. He was still trapped by all these worrying thoughts when Gordie opened up the hatch door and came in the tree house.

" I told my folks I was playing ball with Vern and some other guys , I'm safe till dinner."

With " Dinner" ,still on his lips Grodie was pulled into a strong , almost savagely possessive hug.

" Don't leave me Gordie. Don't leave me , please." Chris pleaded in hushed tones. And Gordie knew what he meant , he'd been having the same worries and fears.

" I won't man , never. I'm here , I'll never leave you." he reassured him , " I'll never leave you."

P.S

As always if you review you'll recieve wealth and authority in the "New World Order" , this time I'll throw in a free pen!

P.P.S

I got to use the word "Ersatz"!


	6. Chapter 6 : 1:00

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**1:00**

The next few weeks were like most things in life , equal parts good and bad , bitter mixed with sweet. Chris and Gordie didn't get to see each other as much as they would have liked to , school , homework , and horrible parents drove a wedge between them. Geordie's still didn't approve of his friendship with Chris , ( they were completely oblivious to the fact that the two were now more than friends), and Chris's dad was on a mean streak , a long one. But when they were together the comfort they got from each other more than made up for how crappy the rest of their lives were.

They usually met in Gordie's room , studying . Chris came and went through the window , the white terrace on the side of the house was his ladder , Gordie's parents would never allow " that Chambers kid" ,under their roof. What they had was beautiful and they needed it. One night in particular Chris needed it , love , comfort , security. It was late , must have been midnight or so. Gordie couldn't sleep , so he was starring out his window , as he did when sleep refused to see him , at the full moon sail through the deep waters of the autumn night. Suddenly something caught his eye , a figure on the lawn , walking towards the house , Chris. Without a thought he opened the window and called out in a hushed voice ,

" Chris , what are you doing here!" , he wasn't complaining , he was worried something was wrong , and his fears were justified.

Chris was hurt , he could see that clearly despite the distance and the shadows. Chris didn't answer , he just kept walking. He got to the terrace , his usual ladder , and hauled himself up , slowly , painfully. This scared the Hell out of Gordie. He'd often admired Chris's agility and strength when climbing the terrace to his room , the power of a gorilla and the grace of a cat. But this time he was not strong or agile , this climb was a struggle , a fight. He finally hoisted himself up and Gordie helped him through the window. Gordie reached for the light but his hand was stopped by Chris's grasp.

" Don't , someone might see." Chris whispered.

" Chris what happened?" Gordie said as he noticed an almost perfect ninety degree gash above his friends right eye.

He reached and traced the wound with his fingers , instinctively Chris pulled back from the contact.

" Could I , uh.. Sleep here tonight?" he asked.

" Of course.".

As Chris turned around to Gordie's bed Gordie noticed a slash on the back of his shirt. ,

" Chris , what is that?" he asked ,

Chris just looked ashamedly down at his shoes. Gordie lifted up the shirt and gasped a diagonal series of lacerations scored Chris's muscular back , they weren't deep but they sure had bled a lot.

" A broken beer bottle." Chris answered as Gordie took of his shirt to examine the cuts more closely.

Gordie went swiftly and silently to the bathroom where he got a washcloth and a basin of warm water . He returned to see Chris sitting on his bed. He washed Chris's back , at first the warm water made him wince a little but it soon began to soothe his wounds. Seeing the one he loved in so much pain infuriated Gordie ,

" That bastard!" he spat , referring to Chris's dad , whose mother was the town whore , so interestingly enough he was in fact a bastard in every sense of the word.

" You've got to go to the police or something!"

Chris turned to face him.

" Not tonight Gordie , please not tonight. Just … lay with me ."

He could see the pleading , the hurt on Chris's face so he obeyed. He pulled his own shirt over his head , carefully dried Chris's back with it , and flung it one the floor next to Chris's. he climbed into the bed going to the side against the wall. Chris slowly , carefully , laid down on his side with his scarred back to Gordie. With equal caution Gordie wrapped his arms around Chris from behind , pulling him into and embrace that ran the entire length of their bodies. They felt right , made for each other. He hugged Chris , hugged him tight. How good Gordies skinny , warm body felt against his took Chris's mind off all his pain. Chris soon fell asleep , maybe " fell" isn't the right word for it , safe in Gordie's arms sleep washed over him gradually , sweetly , like a warm tide on the golden sand. Gordie just laid there , feeling Chris's slow , even breaths , smelling his essence , he never thought he could love the smell of blood and cigarette smoke so much. He could keep letting Chris get hurt like this , he had to stop it some how. But there was next to nothing he could do , aside from getting out of Castle Rock. He laid , deep in webs of thought , How to get out of Castle Rock? , Both of them , and fast , ( he wasn't sure Chris could survive another mean streak). His thoughts were interrupted by the distant , eerie whistle of the one o'clock train roaring through the night. And he had his answer. He smiled and kissed the back of Chris's head , and went into his mid to devise.

P.S

Read this story and review it and I'll burn your house to the ground

P.P.S

No , I do not mean _or _, I mean _and..._


	7. Chapter 7 : Too Late

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**Too Late**

Gordie began laying plans , and acting on them , in the following days.

He walked from his house to the train station repeatedly , finding the quickest , most hidden routes , timing how long it took . He repeated the process from Chris's house. Next he became familiar with the train station itself , he learned all he could about what kind of trains came and went and when they did so. He also befriended the one and only employee of the Macadam's train station , an old man named Bradley Strobel. He had once been an engineer , until an accident cost him the use of his left hand. As a result he was given a job at the train station keeping the books in a small wooden building on the platform. He had records of every train the went and came through Castle Rock. Gordie became an expert at memorizing train schedules. All this information was vital to his half formed , wild , worst case scenario , plan. Should he and Chris be discovered , they would stowaway on a train and get the hell out of Castle Rock , his plan went no further than that. He did , however , realize that should they have to leave it would be suddenly and without time for preparation. They each got a bag and filled it with everything the they didn't want to leave behind in their little home town , which wasn't much. Mostly clothes , food , all the money they had , and some few precious items , Gordie of course , packed a notebook of paper and several good pencils. He told Chris about his plan and he agreed it was a good idea , as a measure of last resort , if their lives depended on it. Their bags sat , waiting , under Gordies bed ( Chris was afraid that his dad would find his if he kept it on the house.).

Of course all the planning , along with school work , meant less time to spend with Chris. They needed each other like they needed food or sleep , when they didn't have each other , being together absorbed their minds. So when Chris suggested they go hiking to the river one sunny Autumn Sunday Gordie practically screamed yes. They were hiking to a certain spot on the river well outside of town , where they could be alone. It was late October and the trees were burning red and yellow , then withering brown , like a forest of matches. They were far off any trail and well away from any stain of civilization. Gordie reached out and held Chris's hand as they walked , he could do so without fear , they were alone. They walked in a warm loving silence that said much more than words could ever hope to express.

They heard running water , a few yards later a wide slow flowing stream was visible.

" You wanna swim?" Chris asked as they reached the bank ,

" Won't it be cold?" , Gordie never knew why he asked this stupid question , he would have swam with Chris if there had been snow on the ground.

" Nah , it's fine." Chris answered , dipping a testing hand into the languorous current.

" Sure" Gordie finally agreed and pulled his shirt over his head , his face burned when he saw Chris do the same.

He'd always been a little embarrassed about his light body , and as a result he'd always been a little envious of Chris's. and he had reason to be Chris was physically perfect , he had one of those rare bodies that was formed beautifully and effortlessly. His shoulders were round with muscle and his biceps were strong and toned enough to be capable of both great power and tenderness. His chest was strong and flat , a great place to rest your head as he held you in his arms , as Gordie knew from blissful experience. His abs were equally tone and flat showing a six pack that was visible but not ostentatious. When Chris undid his belt and unzipped his jeans Gordie was helpless , glued in place , watching the boy undress. He pulled down his jeans to show lean firm thighs and legs.

" God , he's so perfect." he thought to himself ,

his face grew red as he saw Chris slide down his whit briefs and turned to put his clothes on a nearby rock. Chris was perfect there too.

" What's the matter Gordie? Shy?" , he asked grinning ,

he knew how his body made Gordie feel. And Gordie was shy , he felt perfectly inadequate when compared to Chris physically.

" Well you've got no reason to be." , he said , walking over to Gordie , completely naked.

" You're perfect Gordie." , and with that he undid Gordies belt and the button of his jeans ,

" You're not too bad yourself Chambers." he managed to say quietly.

With a grin Chris pulled down Gordie's pants running his hands down his smooth thighs. The briefs soon followed , with those done away with Chris paused to look at his lover.

" You're beautiful." he told him , and he was. Because Gordie was skinny what muscle he did have showed , a lot. His body overall was slimmer than Chris's and ever so slightly taller , Chris envied his lean and graceful form.

Chris lead Gordie to the water and they both Jumped in. Gordie gasped when he came up ,

" You asshole , this is freezing!" ,

Chris just grinned , the water running in streams down his chest.

" Let me warm you up Gordo." he said , and pulled him into an embrace.

Gordie relaxed and he did warm up , with Chris whole body pressed against his ,

" Better?" ,

" A lot ," , he answered , " don't let go."

And Chris didn't intend to , ever. He pulled Gordie into a passionate kiss that lasted twelve amazing seconds.

" C'mon , let's dry off."

Chris lead a shivering , naked , Gordie to the bank. He dried him himself with the thin towel he had in his pack back , ( he'd planned this from the beginning) , making the most of every second. And Gordie did the same to Chris , enraptured by the beauty of his body. But as he went to get dressed Chris stopped him ,

" Not just yet." he said , and led him over to a grassy patch on the bank , Gordie understood.

Chris laid the towel down on a bed of purple , vine like flowers. He and Gordie laid on the towel , naked , their bodies intertwined , breathing softly. They both had erections and they both knew that the time had come for the next part of their love.

"Chris , I want this." Gordie said looking into Chris's eyes ,

" Are you sure , I mean really sure?" , Chris asked , Gordie was something holy , sacred to him , he didn't want to see him hurt , ever.

" Positive" , Gordie answered , kissing Chris , he whispered "Chris , I want you."

The boys were so lost in their own perfect , euphoric , world of love that they never heard the twigs snap and the leaves crackle under the weight of an intruder. They never saw him and they never sensed his eyes watching them. Even after the best few minuets of their lives , when they collapsed , sweating , into each others arms , whispering innumerable " I love you's" , they were never aware that they had been seen , watched by unfriendly eyes. They could never have imagined such a thing could be possible , they were still in the beautiful , perfect , loving , but still not real , world of themselves. They never knew until it was too late.

P.S

Please review.

P.P.S

Do it for the children. * sad music in the background*


	8. Chapter 8 : Together

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

**Together**

That Monday was the second worst day of Gordie Lachance's life , ironic considering yesterday had been the best , the day he and Chris had made love in the forest. That Monday was the day Chris didn't show up for school, and in a freak of fate that could be labeled " coincidence" only by a lunatic , that day was October 31st Halloween , the three year anniversary of the Cassy brothers murder.

Gordie was beyond worried by the end of first period , Chris was gone , with no explanation.

" He was fine yesterday." Gordie thought to himself , had he not been racked with grief and worry he might have found humor in the double meaning that could be applied to this statement.

All day he was more like a phantom than a person. He sat in class but didn't listen , he ate but tasted nothing , without Chris nothing mattered. He kept telling himself it would be okay , that Chris was sick , or skipping , but he wasn't kidding anyone , especially not himself , something was seriously wrong and he knew that. Finally the last bell rang and kids broke though the doors in waves , eager to get home and begin the shadowy glory that is Halloween. Gordie was going to run straight to Chris's house , he'd even risk running into Mr. Chambers. He started down the steps of the school when he heard something that froze hi body and shattered his senses ,

" Yeah , Chris Chambers is a total queer."

, his heart stopped , he turned his head and saw a group of boys talking with their back to him. He recognized the speaker as Henry Spencer.

" No way , not Chris Chambers?" one unbelieving boy asked ,

" Yeah , I saw him myself , he was in the woods , fucking some guy. It made me puke" ,

there was silence as this reality altering information set in.

" Did you see who it was?" ,

" No , he was on top of him, I heard him screaming Chris's name though."

The best way to describe what Gordie was going through can't be described by words , not my words anyway , but a close second is this , Gordie shut down. Thinking , breathing , everything but hearing , switched off.

" I'll tell you one thing though" , Henry continued , " his old man was pissed when I told him." ,

"You told his dad?" , one kid asked in admiration he figured anyone who had the balls to tell his son was a queer was really brave ,

" Yeah , had to let him know there was a queer in the family."

At that moment Gordie came back on , as if someone had slapped him with ice water. His heart beat at a maniac pace , adrenaline coursed through his body , and his brain thought at the speed of sound. He ran home , he knew what he had to do , but , God , he was so scared , scared it might be too late to help Chris. He decided then and there with an unshakeable will , that if Chris was dead Henry Spencer would be too , and he'd follow them both. A hideous image of Chris , grotesquely lit by torchlight , hung on a noose of barbed wire , burned itself into his mind and nearly broke him. He had to keep telling himself that Chris was alive and needed his help , that kept him going as he ran furiously home.

He fell once , without feeling anything he got up and ran all the faster. He was distantly aware that it was getting dark quickly , that the sky was black with cloud , and that a stiff wind was screeching through the trees. He was more readily aware that it was Halloween. Finally he reached home. As he burst through the screen door he heard his dad shout at him

" Gordie get in here! Now!" ,

with leaden legs he walked to the living room where his dad waited , glaring in his easy chair.

" You are not to be friends with that Chambers boy anymore. You are not to talk to him , you are not to see him! I always knew he was a bad influence , a criminal , but now I find out he's a homosexual , a deviant! ( It seemed everyone in Castle Rock knew but Gordie). He was having sex with some man in the woods , do you know anything about this?"

Gordie had never seen his dad this visually livid.

" Yes! It was me and I loved it. And I love _him_ , and he loves me , which is more than I can say for you two!" ,

this outburst surprised Gordie the most of anyone in the room , but it felt , good , right. His father was dumbstruck , his mother began weeping in spasms.

" You get up to your room! I'm going to give you the whippin of your life , I'll beat the queer right out of you!" his father , who had suddenly found his voice , roared.

Gordie ran , not to await a beating , but to get the bags , get Chris , and get the Hell out of Castle Rock.

He rushed into his room and got the bags. As he slung one over his shoulder something silver flew out and landed with a thud on the carpet. He picked it up and saw it was a pistol , Chris's , the same one he'd had on their adventure that summer. He stuck It in his pocket and threw open the window. Gordie's father stormed into the room with his belt in his hand , the last time he ever saw his son , on this earth , was when he saw the back of his head as he jumped out the window. By the time the old man reached the window and looked outside his son was gone , forever.

Gordie rushed through the October twilight that was quickly becoming night. When he reached Chris's decapitated old shebang of a house he crouched by the wooden tool shed , hidden , thinking. He'd never been inside Chris's house and he had no idea what room was his or how to find him. As he crouched , frantically thinking he heard a whisper

" Gordie? Is that you?"

he turned around and saw no one.

" Who's there?" , he whispered back.

" Here Gordie !" ,

he was sure of it now , Chris's voice , and it was coming through the space in-between the shed doors.

" Chris! Oh man , I thought you were.." ,

" Gordie , get me out , I'm locked in."

And so he was , a sturdy padlock graded the latch of the tool shed. Gordie noticed a shovel leaning up against the wooden wall , he picked it up and using the sharp end , hit the lock three times , on the third blow it broke. He threw the doors open and rushed inside to Chris. He had difficulty recognizing him , dried blood was lathered on his face , both his eyes were black, and his nose was bleeding.

" Oh Chris , I'm sorry , I'm so , so sorry." pleaded Gordie , unsure what he was apologizing for

" You should see the other guy." , Chris managed a weak smile which caused fresh blood to flow from his split lip. Gordie smiled too.

" C'mon , were getting you out of here." Gordie helped Chris up.

" Gordie watch out!" Chris screamed, his face the incarnation of horror.

But it was too late , before he could react Gordie felt a heavy stinging blow slam on his back. He was sent reeling.

" Well I'll be dammed! Two queers in one night!" ,

it was Chris's dad , as usual he was drunk , a Louisville slugger was in his right hand , the reason for Gordie's aching back.

" You bastard!" Chris roared as he flung himself at his dad.

Chris was angry , ten times more angry than when he'd beat the shit out of Henry Spencer , but he was weakened by the beatings he'd gotten all day and was thrown back with a swift open handed blow to the face. His father laughed drunkenly , until a loud , commanding voice yelled ,

" Stop!" , and he did.

Gordie was in between Chris and his dad , ( I f you could call that demon by so affectionate a name), with the pistol drawn , aimed and Mr. Chamber's chest.

" I will kill you if you touch him again. Do you understand me you whiskey soaked pile of shit! I will kill you!"

, and he was fully prepared to.

" Now get outta ma way boy , my son needs some discipline!"

he staggered forward , bat in hand , a shot burst the night. Mr. Chambers fell backward out of the shed screaming ,

" You broke ma hand! You broke ma hand!" .

Gordie had shot to kill , but fate sometimes has other plans oftentimes better ones. The bullet went in the right hand and was stopped by bone , bone that shattered on impact. The hand that had beat Chris more times than anyone could number was a bloody , useless , rag. Mr. Chambers lost that hand.

" Come on , we need to hurry!" , Gordie said as he helped Chris up.

Chris just couldn't resist , as they ran out of the shed he stopped to give his father a farewell present , a solid kick in the gut and a spit on the face.

The going was painful and slow , Chris was weak and his left ankle was sprained when his father threw him down the cement steps of the house , but it was much better than the staying because it meant that with every hobbled , labored step , they were getting farther away. Every inch of Chris had been beaten , scratched , bludgeoned , and kicked that day. His father had asked him who he'd been with in the woods after he found out from Henry Spencer , ( thank God for the mentally debilitating effects of alcoholism! Otherwise , he might have put two and two together and realized it was Gordie.). But Chris refused to answer. He endured cuts , beatings , even some burns , with stoic silence. He had to protect Gordie.

" We're almost there." Gordie said pointing to the train station.

By now he was helping Chris walk , like football players help wounded team mates , with one arm slung over his shoulder. They _were _close , about fifty yards separated them from freedom , a train whistle sounded , signaling it was about to depart.

A light behind the caught Gordie's eye , he turned and saw his greatest fear. A mob , face hidden by Children's Halloween masks , with torches , searchlights , and dogs. Memory of the Cassy brothers murder screamed in Gordie's head. They'd been spotted. Chris looked back and saw them too , he heard shout and barks.

" Gordie run! Get out of here! I'm dead weight!" Chris screamed,

" No way man." Gordie answered firmly ,

" Get out Gordie! Your dead if you don't leave me!" ,

"I'm dead if I do!" ,

it was sealed , they would live or die together. After what seemed like hours they finally reached the train platform.

The reader who believes only in matter with no higher power , fate , destiny , God , what have you , would do well to stop reading here.

Out of all the trains that left Castle Rock , ( not many) , and out of all the times that they could leave , (hundreds) , one left right as the pursued lovers reached the platform. Not only did this train leave exactly then but it had one perfectly empty , perfectly , inviting box car , into which the two boys jumped. The train started , sluggishly at first ,and then faster , oh gloriously faster! Soon the mob , the hate , all of Castle Rock was but a speck , invisible and far behind them. The two sat with their backs against the wooden wall of the box car , leaning on each other , as they had always done , looking up at the now clear and beautiful night sky.

It was all so wonderfully like a dream , them together , warm in each others presence , being borne swiftly away from all they hated on this beautiful metal behemoth. But they no longer had to dread the morning , for this dream had been tempered in testing fires and had come out as real and solid as the steel of this wonderful train , their dreams would no longer be banished with the rising sun , they would greet it happily.

" Gordie , I'm so cold." Chris said he hadn't eaten all day and his shirt was slashed in several places allowing the cold night air to seep in and chill him.

Gordie made Chris rest his beaten and bruised back on his warm chest , and he hugged him comfortingly , as he always did , and as Chris always did for him. Chris felt safe in the slim boys embrace and he felt warm , oh so warm. He was exhausted and hurt , but in Gordie's tender arms he felt perfectly contented. As they both fell asleep , being whisked away to they knew not where , nor did they care , Gordie , as he was a writer , did what the best writers do , tell the truth in beautiful ways.

"It's going to be alright now , everything's going to be fine. Were safe , we got out , … together."

And as the two lovers were being rushed away from all the ignorance and animosity that threatened to break their exquisite bond , they both realized it was true , they were no longer empty words said for the sake of comfort , everything _was_ going to be all right. It _was , and more. _

P.S

If you review I'll give you the Pope's hat! ,

it's called a mitre.


	9. Chapter 9 : Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own anything! I merely borrow the wonderful characters Chris and Gordie , ( other less worthy ones as well) , from the glorious film directed by Rob Reiner. A film that was based off the novella , _The Body _, written by the great Stephen King! He whose fame shall never fade from this earth!

* * *

The following leter was found by on October 31st , three years after Christopher Chamber and Gordon LaChance fled from Castle Rock on a cargo train...

* * *

To whom it may concern ,

I didn't want to write this letter. I never wanted to communicate with you in any way ever again. But Chris asked me to , and I'd do _**anything**_ for him , even write to _**you**_. He thinks , being the hopeful optimist he is , that you give a damn whether I'm dead or alive , we both know you don't. But , for Chris's sake , I'm writing this letter even though I know you don't care , you never did.

The night we escaped on the train was the best of our lives. Trains are wonderful things , their fast , powerful , and virtually unstoppable once you get them going. And the train we were on was going , we slept in an empty boxcar and the train carried us away into the night. It was beautiful , a beauty I doubt you've ever felt or will ever understand. The train kept going for the whole night , and a few hours into the morning. When it finally stopped we ( what a great word " we" is , it implies so much ) , were outside of a large city next to the ocean. We had been carried all the way to San Francisco ( I tell you where we are for two reasons , one , you probably don't care enough to come and look for us , even if you do hate what we are , and two , if you ever did come for us you'd never find us , we know the city and have friends , _**real**_ friends.). We went to the salvation army homeless shelter and got Chris fixed up , ( he was in bad shape , his dad had almost beaten him to death . By the way , if the old bastard's still around ask him how his hand is doing.). After Chris got better we started working , it just about killed him to accept charity. Chris got a job washing dishes at a restaurant on the pier , he was able to take home uneaten scraps of food , which we pretty much lived on. I got a work delivering news papers for the San Francisco Chronicle. We didn't earn much and what we did had to be spent on clothes and cheap hotel rooms , but we had each other and we were a lot happier than we ever were in Castle Rock.

We probably wouldn't have made it if it hadn't been for Ronda. She owns a little shop on the side of the street where she sells tea , natural medicine , and reads fortunes. She saw me delivering papers one day and invited me in. She was very friendly and flamboyant , there wasn't anything in her store that wasn't bright and colored , I'm sure you'd hate her. She asked me where I was from and for some reason I told her my whole story , our whole story. There's just something about her that made you believe you could trust her. She listened intently and told me not to omit anything. She believed me and felt very sympathetic , she was on the verge of tears and shouts through the whole narrative. She used some particularly colorful language to describe you and I thought she was going to have an aneurism when I told her about Chris's dad abusing him. She's very expressive. When I finished and made known to her our current state she insisted we live there. She owns an apartment above her store that she rents out to a tenant whenever she can , she was going to rent it to us cheap. And she did , it was very cheap , after seeing Chris's fading scars and healing wounds she insisted on giving it to us free. Her medicine went a long way toward Chris's recovery. Ronda even managed to get us into school. She posed as our mother , and we were step brothers. Chris and I did great in school , especially Chris , it's amazing what you can accomplish when the whole town doesn't think you're a good for nothing criminal. We were able to keep our jobs part time after school.

One day , thanks to Chris , I submitted one of my stories ( you know the ones you always hated and called a waste of time) , to the newspaper I worked for. They liked it and paid me twenty dollars to publish it. From then on I regularly submitted stories and regularly got them published. Chris and Ronda call me " The Writer" , it's great to have people who support what makes you happy. Chris and I are still doing well , fantastic even. He is one of the top students at our high school and also manages to find time for a job and sports. He plans to go into law school. People know about our relationship , and it's the funniest thing , they _don't _beat us within an inch of our lives and literally chase us out of town. Sure there are some people who hates us for it , but most people just accept it , and some even congratulate us. There are always going to be people who hate because of their fear and ignorance , but at least here those people don't consist of the entire town. Me and Chris are happy and our futures look promising. And we will always be so because we have , in abundance , what Castle Rock was void of , love and understanding.

Sincerely , ( not your's , Chris's)

Gordie


End file.
